Meet the millennial ‘nonsumers’ shunning new furniture in favour of castoffs

New lease of life: Alex Lowe at his south London flat, furnished almost entirely with second-hand discoveriesFRANCESCO GUIDICINI

Alex Lowe’s friends are still waiting to be invited to a housewarming at the studio flat he moved into in September. Even informal invitations to dinner in his first “grown-up” home took four months, as Lowe couldn’t offer his guests anything to sit on.

When the 30-year-old lawyer explained why — his principles of non-consumption mean he has to find every item for his new home second-hand — “There was some rolling of eyes,” he says, “though it was mostly affectionate. My friends know me pretty well.”

Millennials are popularly portrayed as a cohort more into splurging their disposable incomes on faddy gadgets and avocado toast than putting down roots. But, as this generation progresses from its flat-sharing years, something unforeseen is happening. As they…

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